Car-fender.



J Q RAKOUSKY.

OAR FENDER. 4APPLICATION FILED MAB. 16, V1909.

PattedJan. 25, 1,91.l y

2 SBEETB-BEEET 1.

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J. RAKOUSKY. GAR FENDER.

APPLICATION FILED 1413.16, 1909. l 947,260. Patented Jan. 25, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

JOSEPH RAKOUSKY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

CAR-FENDER.

Specification of Letters atent.

Patented Jan. 25, 1910.

Application filed March 16, 1909. Serial No. 483,723.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itA known that I, JOSEPH RAKoUsKY, citizen of Austria, residing atSan Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Fenders, ofwhich the following is a specification.

and useful improvements in fenders for use on cars or other vehicles,and the invention has for its object animproved device of this characterconsisting essentially of a tiltin fender frame which is normallymaintained in raised position and is susceptible of being released in apeculiar manner by and upon impact with an object upon the track, so asto admit of the frame swinging downwardlyT into closer proximity to thetrack to preclude possibility of passing over the Object struck, thefender being also arranged for yielding contact with the object, inorder to reduce to a minimum the liability of injuring the same.

With this and other objects in view that will more fully appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists in'l certain constructionsand arrangements of the parts that I shall hereinafter fully describeand then point out the novel features thereof in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof and toacquire a knowledge of the details of construct-ion, reference is to behad to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is' a perspective view illustrating the application of myimproved car fender; Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof; and, Fig. 3 is aside elevation, the frame being shown in dotted lines in tippedposition.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indi-- cated in all the views of the drawings by thesame reference characters. f

My improved fender is illustrated as applied to the front platform 1 ofa car of conventional form. Bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to thefront of the car in transversely spaced relation are two brackets 2 towhich are pivotally connected longitudinally and forwardly disposedhanger arms 3, the latter being adapted to support the fender frameinterposed therebetween. This fender frame comprises front and rearparallel cross bars 4L which are connected by rearwardly convergent sidebars 5, a plurality oflongitudinal strips 6 being preferably applied tothe frame and having their forward ends curved downwardly about the yfront cross bar 4C, while their rear ends'are This invention comprehendscertain new upturned beyond the rear cross bar, as indicated at 7 andconstitute an abutment `to hold an object deposited upon lthe frameagainst rearward movement. In the present instance, this fender frame isdesigned to be mounted to turn about an intermediate transverse axis,and for this purpose I equip each -of the side bars 5 at correspondingintermediatepoints with bearings 8 in which is journaled a transverseshaft 9 that issupported at its ends in bearings 10 provided at theextremities of the hanger arms 3. Two controlling chains l1 are securedto the opposite ends of this s haft and are arranged for adjustableengagement with hooks l2 or the like disposed, upon the front of thecar, thereby admitting of the swinging hanger arms 3 being supportedl indifferent positions to Vregulate the height of the fender frame abovethe track. Attention isfalso particularly directed to the fact that theshaft 9 is connected to the fender fra1nenearer -the rear end thereof,so that the frame normally tends to tip bygravity to admit of theforward portion thereof swinging downwardly in closer proximity to thetrack to preclude possibility of the car passing over the object. Therear portion of the frame, of course, swings upwardly upon this tippingmovement thereof, and such movement is preferably limited through theinstrumentality of a stop chain 13 connected to the rear cross bar t`and an adjacent portion of the front of the car.

At the rear end of the fender frame the samey is preferably providedwith one or more outstanding ears or lugs 14:, that, 1n the presentinstance, are constituted by the projecting extremities of the side bars5 and that are designed to be normally engaged by a keeper bar 15 inorder to maintain the frame with its forward portionraised and againstthe aforementioned tipping movement. The keeper bar 15 is disposedtransversely rjust at the rear of the frame yand I.has its opposite endsvconnected to two longitudinally extending connecting rods 16,

which are mounted in bearings 17 provided on the hanger arms 3 and whichare normally slid forwardly in the bearings under the influenceoftension springs 18 in order to maintain the keeper bar in engagementwith the lugs. At their forward ends the connecting rods project beyondthe hanger arms and extend across the respective forward corners of theframe and terminate beyond the same with a transverse buffer 19 rigidlysecured thereto, the buffer being thus supported in front of t-he otherparts of the fender in order to impact with an object in event of acollision. The buffer, connecting rods and keeper bar constitute asubstantially rectangular trip frame which serves to control themovement of the fender frame.

In the practical use of a fender constructed in accordance with myinvention, when the car encounters a person or other obstruction uponthe track, the buffer 19 is impacted therewith, it being noted however,that the force of the blow is not likely to be dangerous, inasmuch asthe buffer is susceptible of yielding rearwardly. This rearward movementslides the connecting rods 16 through the bearings 17 and against thetension springs 18,so as to edect the disengagement of the keeper bar 15from the outstanding lugs 14. After the keeper bar has been moved out ofsuch engagement, it is to be observed that the rearward movement of thesame together with the connecting rods and the buffer, is limited by thekeeper bar abutting against the brackets 2. Upon the release of thefender frame the latter tips by gravity, so as to turn about the shaft 9to lower the forward portion of the frame into closer proximity to thetrack to prevent the object from being rolled beneath the wheels, whilethe rear portion of the frame is swung upwardly as much as is permittedby the stop chain 13. IVhen the continued forward movement of the carcauses the person to topple over upon the fender, the majority ofthe'weight is deposited upon the rear portion of the fender frame, whichis thereby swung downwardly, so as to break the force of the fall andalso turn the frame about the shaft in a reverse direction to raise theforward portion above the track. This movement of the fender frame inthe reverse direction is limited by the connecting rods 16 which extendover the forward corners employed upon street railway cars or othervehicles; which is entirely automatic in action and is adapted to bepositively lowered to prevent passing over an object struck; which isarranged for yielding contact with an obstruction, and which possessescertain other advantages that will become at once apparent to-thosefamiliar with devices of this character.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is:

1. In a fender, the combination of adjustable hanger arms, a swingingframe pivotally connected to the hanger arms, means carried by thehanger arms for engaging the frame to hold the same against swingingmovement, and means for releasing said engaging means.

2. In a fender, the combination of brackets, hanger arms pivotallyconnected to the brackets, a swinging fender frame pivotally connectedto the hanger arms, means for sustaining the hanger arms in diiierentadjusted positions, and means carried by the hanger arms for engagingthe frame to hold the same against swinging movement.

3. In a fender, the combination of hanger arms, a swinging framepivotally connected to the hanger arms, a keeper bar carried by thehanger arms and engaging with the frame to hold the same againstswinging movement, and means for releasing the keeper bar.

4. In a fender, the combination of hanger arms, a swinging fender framepivotally connected to the hanger arms, and a trip frame carried by thehanger arms and normally engaging the fender frame to hold the sameagainst swinging movement.

5. In a fender, the combination of hanger arms, a swinging fender framepivotally connected to the hanger arms, and a trip frame normallyengaging one end portion of the fender frame to hold the same againstswinging movement in one direction, the trip frame extending over theopposite end portion of the fender frame to limit the swinging movementthereof in the other direction.

6. In a fender, the combination of hanger arms, a swinging framepivotally connected to the hanger arms, the frame being provided with aprojection, and a keeper bar carried by the hanger arms and adapted toengage the projection to hold the frame l against such swingingmovement.

7. In a fender, the combination of hanger arms, a swinging framepivotally connected to the hanger arms, and a keeper bar carried by thehanger arms and spring-pressed into engagement with the frame to holdthe same against swinging movement.

S. In a fender, the combination of hanger arms, a swinging framepivotally connected to the hanger arms, a keeper bar carried by thehanger arms and spring-pressed into engagement with the frame to holdthe same against such swinging movement, and means for releasing thekeeper bar.

9. In a fender, the combination of hanger arms, a swinging framepivotally connected to the hanger arms, a keeper bar carried by l thehanger arms and spring-pressed into engagei'nent with the frame to holdthe same against such swinging movement, and `a bumper for moving thekeeper bar against the force of the spring and out of engagement withthe frame.

10. In a fender, the combination of hanger arms, a frame pivotallyconnected to the hanger arms, a keeper bar disposed transversely of thehanger arms at the rear end of the frame and adapted to engage the same,connecting rods slidingly mounted. on the respective hanger arms andsecured to the keeper bar, and a bumper secured to the forward ends ofthe connecting rods and disposed beyond the front end of the frame.

l1. In a fender, the combination of lonl gitudinal hanger arms providedwith bearings, longitudinally extending rods slidably mounted in thebearings and spring-pressed forwardly therein, a frame interposedbetween and pivotally connected to the hanger arms, means disposed atthe rear ends of the rods for engaging the frame to yhold the sameagainst turning movement, and means arranged at the forward ends of therods vfor moving the same against the force of the springs to releasesaid holding means.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH RAKOUSKY.

Witnesses ARTHUR CoRTnLYoU,

Griso. J. BUSH.

